Winfield s



(No Model.) W. S. SHANAHAN.

THILL COUPLING. No. 305,342. Patented Sept. 16, 1884.

WITNESSES JNVEJVTOR aw @.////f@ UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE-o- WINFIELD S. SHANAHAN, OF EAST GHATHAM, NEW YORK.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 305,342, dated September 16., 1884.

Application filed May 21, 1884.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WINFIELD S. SHANA- HAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Ghatham, in the county of Columbia and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couplings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain improvement in thill-eouplings, and is designed to prevent all wear of the shaft-iron on the draft side of the eye of the clip.

In describing the device reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents partly a side and partly a sectional view of the invention, and Fig. 2 a detail plan view of a portion of the shaft-iron with my improvements attachedthereto.

A represents that portion of the clip embracing and secured to the axle. On one side of the said clip is an enlargement, B, annular in shape and forming the eye of the clip. The

enlargement is provided with an opening, 0, to receive the cross-bar on the end of the shaftiron. Contained in the eye is the rubber block D, provided with a rectangular recess or slot, E, and surrounded by the spring metallic band F, the ends of which areinserted in the opening E, reaching to the bottom of the same, as shown. This spring F, by being made larger than the eye, is compressed in order to enter the same, and by its tension presses against the sides of the opening Eand assists in expanding it and keeping it tight in the eye. To the shaft is connectedthe shaftiron G, provided with two wings, H, adapted to embrace the enlargement B on the clip. Situated between the wings is the bar I, adapted to enter the opening in the enlargement, having first had secured around it the covering K, preferably of rawhide, though it may be of leather or other suitable material. This, when the shaft- (No model.)

iron is properly placed in position in the clip, will form a bearing-surface against the inner wall of the enlargement, and so prevent all wear of the same, that would otherwise occur when the two metal surfaces come in contact.

The peculiar tenacity and toughness of rawhide will cause it to wear for a long time, and should it ever become worn it is quickly and economically replaced.

It has been found to be necessary in this class of thill-couplings to provide some means of preventing dirt or other foreign matter entering the openingin the enlargement, and to overcome this difliculty, which would result in the quick destruction of the rawhide and the spring, on the proper place on the wings H is riveted, soldered, or formed integral with them a strip, L, so that when in position the opening is completely covered. This strip does not at all interfere with the removal of the shaft-iron from the clip. It is only when the improvements herein described are applied to the thill-coupling that it becomes perfect in a all its parts and forms a true anti-rattler.

Having described the invention, what I claim is'- s As an article of manufacture, a thill-coupling composed of a clip having a slotted eye,-

in which rests a spring-surrounded recessed block, and a shaft-iron having two wings, and a cross-bar which is surrounded by rawhide or its equivalent, the wings having secured to andextending between them a metallic strip,

VVINFIELD S. SHANAHAN.

WVitnesses:

WILLIAM C. DALEY, GEO. E. PATTON. 

